


Seasons Of Love

by nhasablog



Category: Rent - Larson
Genre: Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 01:43:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Mark has just been dumped and Roger decides to be a good friend and cheer him up.





	Seasons Of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna delete my tumblr, so I'm posting a bunch of fics people have requested that never ended up here. I hope you like this! Feel free to unsubscribe to escape the email notifs lmao (but come back in, like, a week because ily)
> 
> Also this is from like 2015 so don't judge me if it's bad lmao

Roger was an awful friend. Let’s start at that.

In a world that was so cold and judging you tended to seek out people that you thought would radiate warmth and kindness. Roger had always hoped he could be that sort of person, but he was starting to think that he was the exact opposite of what he strived for.

It was quite late in the evening, and the sun had abandoned the streets of New York City hours ago, but Roger was wide awake; watching the dark buildings outside his window. Observing their shabbiness and the occasional movements inside. Wondering what hopes and dreams the people that had decided to build them had had at the time, and if they’d been disappointed by the outcome.

The first snow had fallen a couple of days prior, and Roger could spot a few flakes whirling past his window from time to time, but other than that the night was rather still. Your typical November night.

The loft door was pushed open, and when Roger turned to find Mark enter the room he was once again reminded of what an awful friend he was. No good friend would laugh when their best friend and roommate informed them that their girlfriend had just dumped them for another woman.

But Roger had. It had only been a sharp exhale of air, to be fair, but no one was stupid enough to not recognize a laugh of mockery. Roger hadn’t meant to do it, but the situation was just too bizarre for him to keep his feelings to himself, and in return Mark had unleashed his own feelings at him. His rage and hurt. It had shut Roger up all right, but he hadn’t had time to apologize before Mark was out of the loft. This was the first time Roger had seen him in hours.

“Where have you been?” he asked, his voice oddly loud in the silent room.

Mark shrugged as he reached for his scarf and started pulling it off. “Out. Filming. Trying to figure out what to do. With my movie, I mean.”

Roger nodded; no surprise anywhere in his soul. Mark always worked, and especially when he wanted to distract himself from something. Roger vaguely remembered him almost having worked himself to death after all of their roommates had left them alone in the loft.

“What have you done all day, then?” Mark asked, discarding his scarf and jacket and walking up to him.

Roger shook his head. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Well, at least we know things are normal.” Mark sat down opposite of him on the window seat; his eyes roaming over the empty streets outside.

Roger was able to let his own gaze wander over the buildings three times before he couldn’t keep it in any longer. “I’m sorry.”

Mark looked up at him; his eyebrows meeting his hairline. “For?”

“For laughing at you. I didn’t mean to, I swear.”

Mark rolled his eyes before averting them again. “It’s fine. I would laugh at me, too.”

Roger wanted to say, “It’s not fine at all. She hurt you and I laughed at your pain.” But he didn’t say a thing. Instead he reached out briefly to squeeze Mark’s knee, and that was all the reassurance that was needed.

Mark sighed after a while. “Did she have to find someone else? Couldn’t she just have dumped me? This just shows that I’ve been cheated on.”

“Hey, it’s her loss and you deserve better.”

“I know, but-”

“No buts.” Roger leaned in so that he could catch his eye; hoping he sounded firm when he said, “You deserve the best.”

Mark grinned for probably the first time all day. It was a sheepish and somewhat bitter smile, but it was a progress. “You suck at cheering people up.”

Roger frowned. “What, why? What do I do wrong?”

Mark shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just that you sound ridiculous. I feel like I’m the one who always lays out the pep talks.”

“Then I should change that, shouldn’t I? I’m gonna become the most supporting and comforting friend ever, and you’re gonna wish you could have the old Roger back.”

Mark barked out a laugh at that. “Oh, please don’t.”

“Nuh uh. No take backs. Sorry.” Roger scooted closer to him and started poking him in the ribs and stomach. “I’m here to cheer you up.”

Mark was, no doubt, the most ticklish one in their group of friends; something most of them had found out when they were all living together. Not a day went by without someone giving Mark a tickle, even if it was just a quick one. When Mark and Roger had suddenly found themselves alone in the loft the habit had waned, and Roger hadn’t realized how much he’d missed messing with his friend until now, when Mark’s laughter was ringing in the air once again.

“Stohop ihit!” Mark cried, his hands flailing around quite uselessly.

“Not until I’ve been a good friend and cheered you up.”

“You ahahare a gohohood friend!”

“Well, I wanna be an even better one.”

Roger spidered his fingers over Mark’s ribcage; grinning as he spasmed and squirmed under the light touch. Just the slightest caress could make Mark burst into giggles, so the fact that he seemed to already be going a bit insane wasn’t surprising, but still immensely amusing.

“Roger, dohohon’t!”

Mark was trapped between Roger and the window; unable to thrash a lot unless he wanted to smash the glass or something. He seemed to know that, and it only made him laugh harder to know he couldn’t properly fight back.

Mark brought up his leg and pressed his knee against Roger’s stomach; attempting to push him away. “No mohohore!”

“But I’ve barely even started,” Roger replied, using one hand to squeeze Mark’s raised knee.

Mark’s face was scrunched up; his smile wide. Roger felt his heart jump happily at the sight.

He only stopped once Mark’s laughter had gone silent; which was a clear sign that he needed a break. Roger backed off and let his friend slump down exhaustedly against the window; his chest heaving as he inhaled gulps of air.

“You suck,” Mark choked out.

“Cheered you up, though, didn’t it?”

Mark sighed. “It did,” he admitted.

Roger grinned and reached over to ruffle Mark’s hair. “Good. Now let’s go see if we can find something really cheap to eat.”

When Mark smiled Roger thought that maybe he wasn’t an awful friend after all.


End file.
